Cirque Du Merveille
by xxLadyLalaxx
Summary: Kurt gets the job as a costume designer at a traveling circus, where he meets new friends, finds adventure, and romance in the form of the dashing ringmaster's assistant. Based of CP Coulter's "Dalton" AU. Klaine. Rane. Jogan. Datherine. Sperril.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**

**"Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

**"Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>Kurt sighed as he adjusted the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder. He pursed his lips, staring up at the caravan. It advertised a colorful mural – there were pictures of elephants, clowns, and muscular men lifting weights, spread out amongst a colorful ring. There was a single picture of a man, wearing a top hat and a tux, with a rainbow-colored tie, smiling widely, in the middle. The words around him read:<p>

**CIRQUE DU MERVEILLE!**

**Animals, Stunts, and Acts That Will Blow Your Mind!**

_Well, _Kurt thought_, it's now or never_. Blowing a breath through his lips, his straightened his shoulders and walked around the caravan. When he reached the back, he noticed that most of caravans belonging to the show were parked in a huge circle. A fence surrounded them on the inside, pressed up against the caravans, so that nothing could get out, and no one could get in. There was a door in the back of the main caravan and he reached up to knock.

After a few moments, a kindly looking woman answered. She had platinum blonde hair that was pinned up in a chopstick bun and silver-rimmed glasses. She smiled widely.

"You're Kurt Hummel, right?" Her voice was sing-songy and motherly. Kurt nodded. "I'm Sylvia Harvey, the ringmaster's wife. Please come in, this autumn wind is freezing."

Kurt stepped into the caravan, feeling slightly more at ease. The inside of the caravan was very small and decked out. A scarlet oriental rug covered the floor and there were posters and newspaper articles pinned to the walls. A few photographs adorned the wall behind the antique desk, showing pictures of the man on the caravan and Sylvia, along with some younger people Kurt assumed were apart of the circus as well. The man that grinned on the mural outside was sitting at the desk, talking on a cell phone. He turned in his chair and his eyes alighted on Kurt. He smiled kindly and raised a finger, mouthing, _one minute_.

Kurt nodded and stood somewhat awkwardly until the man flipped the phone shut. He sighed heavily. "Murdoch again. Bugging us on our budget." He rested his head in his hands for a moment and then looked back up at Kurt. "Kurt Hummel? Job Interview?"

"Yes sir."

"Oh pssh, don't call me sir. Harvey will do just fine lad. Please, please, take a seat." Harvey waved his hand at the seat in front of the desk. Kurt sat down, setting the bag down at his side. Harvey took a few papers out of his drawers and his eyes scanned the papers. "So, you'd like to apply for our open position as a costume designer, hm?"

Kurt nodded.

"And what makes you think you can handle that?" Harvey raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Well, I've always had an interest in fashion since I was very small," Kurt began, "and I've always admired the outfits that the circus made for their performers. Some of the circuses I've seen in the past, their costumes didn't really, well…" Kurt struggled for a good word. "…flow, you know? So I would design my own outfits for them.

"I've actually seen your circus a few times when I was younger." Kurt smiled at the memories of his parents and himself, walking around the fairground, eating cotton candy and gazing at the antics of the performers. "It was always one of my favorites. And I went to see your Tuesday show, and I came up with a few ideas of my own." He pursed his lips.

"Interesting…" Harvey murmured. Sylvia noticed his nervousness and asked kindly, "Did you bring your designs with you?"

Kurt nodded excitedly. He reached into his bag and pulled out a well-thumbed sketchpad. He handed it to Sylvia, who took it and began to flip through it. "…these are impressive Kurt." she commented. Kurt blushed and smiled.

Harvey looked over his shoulder. He hummed in satisfaction. "I like your style Kurt." Then he turned back to the papers. "But, you're only seventeen. You're underage, and should be in school. And you show up asking for a job at the circus?"

Harvey realized that that had been a bad way to phrase his question. Kurt shifted and went pale, staring into his lap. Sylvia nudged Harvey motioning to Kurt and giving him a death glare. Harvey shrugged helplessly and turned back to Kurt. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry, that was an insensitive way to ask. But, why are you applying for a job."

Kurt was quiet. Then he began, "My mother died when I was eight. My dad and I, we struggled on expenses, and then, he died too, just a few months ago." Kurt sniffled. "I was sent to live with my grandparents, and, well, they're very strict Christians. I…I'm gay." Sylvia nodded, and Kurt was relieved to see that they hadn't shown any sign of homophobia.

"Well, let's say that they went pretty far to straighten me out. I couldn't take it. So when I heard that your circus was coming, I thought…maybe I could get away from all of this." Kurt shrugged.

Harvey smiled gently. "Kurt, you won't be the only underage performer here. Lots of people are. A few of them are gay, and they all have stories to tell. Hey, if you've got talent and spirit, you make it. And you, Kurt, have just been accepted as our new costume designer."

Kurt looked up with wide, robin's egg-blue eyes, and grinned. Sylvia laughed at the look and stood up. She walked to a door that Kurt had not noticed and opened it, stepping down from the caravan and closing the door. Harvey smiled. "We're leaving for Wisconsin on Friday. You come at noon and we'll get you settled down. In the meantime, my assistant will show you around so you can get yourself comfortable with everyone."

Sylvia returned, followed by a lean, tan boy, with chocolate-colored eyes. Black curls were tamed down by gel and he flashed Kurt a dazzling grin. Kurt felt himself melt slightly under those eyes. _Oh wow…_

"Kurt, this is Blaine, he's the ringmaster's assistant." Sylvia said. "He's going to show you around the grounds and introduce you to everyone."

Blaine grinned and held out a hand. "A pleasure to meet you Kurt." he said, voice like velvet. Kurt shook his hand, smiling back. "Nice to meet you too Blaine."

Sylvia smiled at their interaction. "Blaine, just show him around a bit and show him where he's going to stay, okay?"

Blaine nodded. "Okay, Miss Harvey. C'mon." he said, grabbing Kurt's hand and leading him out of the caravan. Kurt followed, attempting to match his eager step.

_New life, here I come._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is my new story :) I'll be taking a break from the Ranebow shots story, and write a full Dalton story. Will include most of the Dalton ships.<strong>

**I hope you keep reading! Leave me a review and let me know what you think!**

**Love Lala, xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**

**"Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

**"Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>Blaine led Kurt hand in hand across the fairground. The circle of caravans, campers, and trucks surrounded a mass of colorful tents, all of which advertised different circus acts. Kurt gazed around in wonder and Blaine laughed at the look on his face. "Yeah, it's pretty special, isn't it?"<p>

Kurt nodded, his smile remaining.

Blaine approached a medium sized camper. He shouldered open the door. "This is my camper, and it's probably going to become yours too."

Kurt gaped. "What do you mean?"

Blaine shrugged. "Well, I don't think we have any other open campers, really. And my brother moved out of this one, so there's a spare bed. You can stay here if you want." He looked, Kurt thought, somewhat hopeful.

The world was trying to kill Kurt, he had no doubt now. First introducing him to Blaine, and then telling him he had to share a room with said rather hot boy?

Naturally. He shouldn't have expected anything less.

Kurt smiled. "Yeah, it's fine." Blaine grinned and stepped aside to let Kurt in.

The carpet was a plush, midnight blue. There was a bunk bed in the far right corner, the top only about a foot and a half from the ceiling of the camper. There was lots of pillows and the blankets were a pale blue, that complemented the carpet. There were also curtains that were hung from the railings of the bed and the ceiling, to give the occupants some privacy if needed. There was a dresser straight ahead of him, and to the right of that was a counter, with a mini-refrigerator. Beside that were a couch and a chair, with a side table. Windows dotted the walls, letting in the weak autumn sunshine.

"This is…really nice." Kurt commented. To be honest, he'd expected something cheap, but this was a like a mini luxury suite. Blaine laughed. "I know. It's really homey. We need all of the blankets for the winter, since we don't have heating. There has to be at least two people per camper, so that when we're traveling, we can take turns driving."

Kurt nodded. He turned back. "Are you sure you're okay with me staying here?"

Blaine grinned again. That smile was becoming infectious, and Kurt felt his heart flutter. "It's more than okay." Blaine reassured. Kurt still looked nervous. "Well, um..."

Blaine cocked his head adorably to the side. "Kurt? What's wrong?"

"I'm gay." Kurt closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable slang that would follow his statement.

"Kurt, there are a lot of us here that are gay. Me, for example. And my brother. And lots of others . Please don't worry about not being accepted."

Kurt felt tears rise up to his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been so gentle like this. He sat down on the bottom bunk, a smile making its way across his face.

Blaine sat down beside him and squeezed his hand. He didn't know what Kurt had gone through, but he sure as hell was going to make sure he knew he had a home here. "It'll be fine. I'll be with you every step of the way."

Kurt looked up at Blaine. "Thank you." he whispered hoarsely.

* * *

><p>"So, who are we going to see?" Kurt inquired as the two walked across the field, still hand-in-hand.<p>

"Our magicians." Blaine approached a gray tent that read **Hughes & Sullivan: Magnificent Magicians! **

Blaine stepped forward and pulled aside the flap to the tent. "Wes? David? Anyone there?"

Kurt walked in behind him. The room was dark, save for a few patches of light where there were roll-up windows. There was a single table in the middle of the room, which held a top hat, a carrot, and a cage, which contained a fluffy white rabbit.

A girl stepped out of the shadows of the tent. She was very pretty, with long, wavy, chestnut brown hair and big blue eyes. She grinned when she saw the two.

"Hey Blaine. Neither of the boys are here right now. Still sleeping in." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey Kat. Kurt, this is Katherine Rivers, the magician's assistant." Katherine stepped forward and held out her hand. Kurt politely shook it. "I like your blouse, by the way. Is it Dior?"

"Yeah, it is!" Katherine looked pleased. "Not many fashion-knowledgeable people here. Good to have another."

"Kurt's going to be our new costume designer." Blaine added.

Katherine grinned ear to ear. "That's awesome! Our old designer quit a few weeks ago. I swear, she had no sense of style at all. And we never got a say in what we were wearing." Katherine shook her head sadly. "You'll let us give our opinion?"

"Definitely." Kurt nodded breezily.

At that moment, there was a rustle at the front of the tent. Two boys their age stepped through: one was African-American, and the other was Oriental-looking.

The oriental boy looked at Kurt. "Blaine, who's your friend?"

"Kurt, meet Wes Hughes – " Blaine gestured to the oriental boy, who bowed with a flourish, "-and David Sullivan, our magicians." David grinned and walked around to Katherine, who laced their hands.

"Guys, this is Kurt Hummel, our new costume designer." David grinned and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you Kurt. You're going to love it here." Kurt shook his hand and smiled.

"I'm pretty sure I will. Everyone's been so nice so far."

Wes shrugged. "Most of us are. If we're not nice, then we're at least tolerable. And we're all mad."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Angry mad or crazy mad?"

"Crazy. Very crazy."

This wasn't exactly reassuring. Kurt blanched. Blaine rolled his eyes at the boys and said, "Great, now he's scared." He reached and squeezed Kurt's hand again. "Don't worry, we're all of good kind."

Wes, David, and Katherine all saw the look in Blaine's eyes, one they hadn't seen for a long time, since he had met the show's sword swallower. And that hadn't worked out so well. But Kurt seemed to be an acceptable guy. Handsome, kind, and he seemed to like Blaine as well, they noted.

They snapped out of their thoughts. Blaine was talking. "…going to show Kurt around a little more. See you guys later!"

"Bye!" they yelled, as the two walked out of the tent.

Wes turned to David. "You saw the look?"

David nodded, grinning ear to ear. "On both of them."

Wes whipped out his cell phone and sent a text to the twins. Those two were always slinking around, and they knew just about everything about everyone. Surely they could do a little research about this Kurt Hummel, and whether he would be a potential boyfriend for the ringmaster's assistant.

**New costume designer. Name's Kurt Hummel. He and Blaine have the hots for each other! :D You know what to do!**

**-WizardWes**

A moment later a reply came.

**Not a problem, Hare ;)**

**-Tweedles**

* * *

><p>Reed raised the hose a little higher as he sang a little higher. Daisy the elephant trumpeted in pleasure. Her trunk snaked around and felt around Reed, who rolled his eyes and pushed the trunk away. "Down, girl." He patted the rough hide of the beast.<p>

Yes, he, clumsy tiny Reed van Kamp, was the elephant handler. For some reason, the creatures had taken a liking to him. Not only did he wash, feed, and train the animals, but he was a performer too.

When he had first arrived at the Cirque, the creatures were friendlier to him than most others. The old handler had noticed this, and has asked Reed to take on the role of his apprentice. Reed had happily done so, more than relieved to have found a family that accepted him. He was also rather good at his job. Handling the beasts was easy, and he had better balance on an elephant then he did on his own two feet. Then the handler had died about a year ago, leaving all of the responsibility to Reed. Luckily, it was a job that Reed loved.

A pair of warm arms encircled his waist and he felt a kiss on the top of his strawberry blonde curls. "Hey baby." A husky voice whispered in his ear.

Reed giggled. "Hello Shane." Shane released him and leaned casually against Daisy. The trapeze artist's curls flopped over his eyes and his marbled green-gray eyes sparkled. "Enjoying the bath?" he asked playfully, eyeing up Reed's soaked figure.

"Yes, would you like to join me?" He turned the hose on Shane, who sputtered and raised his hands to protect himself. Reed laughed and moved closer. Shane dodged out of the way and grabbed Reed from behind again. He lifted Reed into the air. Reed kicked his legs. Both boys laughed. Daisy the elephant made a noise of annoyance and sidled away.

Blaine and Kurt approached the paddock. Kurt raised his eyebrows. "And who's that happy couple?"

Blaine smiled. "The taller one is my younger brother Shane. He's crazy, just so you know. The other is Reed, our elephant handler and Shane's boyfriend. I honestly don't know how he handles Shane. They're polar opposites." Blaine thought for a moment. "I think you too will get along. He's pretty fashion savvy too."

Kurt smiled. "Sounds good."

The two walked up to the fence. The couple noticed them and stopped, wiping water out of their hair, still giggling. They stumbled towards Blaine and Kurt. "Hey," Shane grinned. "How goes it _big _bro?" He slung an arm around Blaine. Kurt noticed the significant difference in height between the brothers and raised an amused eyebrow.

"Yes, he _is _younger than me." Blaine said, irritated. Shane just laughed and stepped away.

Reed cast a friendly eye over the newcomer, appraising the outfit with an expert eye. _Pretty good_, he thought approvingly. Kurt looked over Reed's outfit as well. He pursed his lips – "Aren't those from last season Dolce & Gabbana?"

Reed nodded excitedly. "Yeah, they are. It's why I use them when I'm with the elephants. Don't worry, I have some current season stuff back in my camper. I just don't want to ruin them." Kurt nodded in understanding.

"Shane, Reed, meet Kurt, our new costume designer." Blaine grinned. Shane's eyes widened. "Cool!"

"Yeah, we could use some new stuff." Reed laughed. "And you actually seem to have a good sense of fashion, unlike the last one." He grimaced.

Kurt nodded again. "So I've heard."

Shane grinned. "Well, it's nice to have you in our family!"

Kurt smiled gratefully. "Thank you, it…means a lot." In fact, he couldn't even begin to describe how wonderful this all felt.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next up, Jogan &amp; Sperril! :D<strong>

**And hopefully everyone else after that.**

**So today was my last day of school, and my friend (HELLO DEAR!) had an "end of year" pool party. We all got pushed into the pool, and we watched Doctor Who – one of the Weeping Angels episode.**

**I am scared to turn my back, or blink. (Hey, friend! Why did you let me watch it? I won't be sleeping tonight!)**

**Well, wish me luck sleeping. Good night!**

**Love Lala, xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**

"**Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

"**Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>Kurt heard horses as he and Blaine walked away from the elephants, leaving Reed and Shane to finish washing them up. He squinted in the light to see. Another paddock was ahead of them. The light that managed its way through the clouds above shone on three whinnying horses – Arabians, if he wasn't mistaken. Two of them were white, and one was black, and all were gathered near the fence, where Kurt could see a feminine figure standing, stroking the black horse's forehead.<p>

"Hey, Merril!" Blaine shouted.

The girl turned her head, flashing a sweet smile. She was rather beautiful, Kurt thought. Dark brown curls cascaded down her back and her eyes were a hazelnut brown. Her skin was the color of tea, and her teeth were a dazzling white.

"Hello Blaine." The girl cast her eyes to Kurt and noted the intertwined hands. "Who's this?"

"Kurt this is Merril Portman; she's the head of the horses in the show." Merril held out a dainty hand and Kurt shook it politely. "A pleasure to meet you." she said in a sing-song voice.

"You too." he said. He looked at the horses. "So, the show horses, you ride them?"

She laughed. "Yep, it's hard work, but I'm pretty good at it." She affectionately patted the muzzle of the one of the white horses, who whinnied in appreciation.

"You're lucky Merril. Kurt's the new costume designer." Blaine explained. He turned to Kurt. "Hers is, well…" he looked at Merril awkwardly. Merril shuddered. "…atrocious."

Kurt raised his eyebrows, interested. "May I see?"

Merril nodded. "C'mon. Blaine, will you watch them for me for a second?" Blaine nodded as he watched Merril lead Kurt to her camper.

He sighed leaning against the fence, absentmindedly patting the middle horse's nose. Kurt was…really pretty. Beautiful, even. He was sweet and kind, and Blaine liked his voice. He groaned and put his head into his hands. _Here we go again, _he thought tiredly. Love at first sight was something that was common amongst the Andersons. Shane had deliriously babbled about it when he had met Reed. And he had felt it when he saw Logan. But, that was a long time ago. And Logan was still sour. Maybe, if he had just looked at what was right in front of him…Blaine rolled his eyes. But he was sure that that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Hello Rabbit!"

"We've been looking for you!"

Blaine turned around, a smile forming on his face, only to be squirted in the eye by a bright fuchsia flower. The twins in front of him cackled as they hopped on to the fence beside him.

Ethan and Evan Brightman were…well, they didn't really have a job. They managed some of the stands at the fairground and provided a lot of the props for the show, with money from an unknown source. They had golden blonde hair and icy blue eyes, with matching grins that no one in their right mind trusted. Since their arrival at the Cirque, they had been causing mischief amongst everyone there.

"So, Rabbit." Ethan began.

"The Hare and the Hatter tell us – " Evan continued.

"That you've got the hots for the new costume designer!"

Blaine spluttered. "I DO NOT! I'm just showing him around." He crossed his arms and stared at the sparse grass.

The twins slid down from the fence beside him and placed their chins on both of his shoulders. "That's not what we heard!" They sang together.

Blaine groaned and put his head in his hand. "Shut up guys. Yes, he's cute. Yes I like him. But he just got here. To have this thrown at him would be more then he could handle."

The twins quirked their eyebrows. "Oh we'll see."

Kurt and Merril appeared from behind the trailers, accompanied by a rather buff boy with an arm around Merril. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes like Merril. Spencer Willis was smiling as he listened to Kurt and Merril talk about her costume, looking slightly confused at the fashion talk that the two were conversing in.

They reached the trio by the fence. "Hey." Kurt smiled as he sidled up to Blaine. Blaine grinned back, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. He gestured to the twins. "Kurt, these are the twins, Ethan and Evan."

"Ah." Kurt nodded, observing the two Cheshire grins. Then he frowned. "But who's Ethan and who's Evan?"

"Well, that's the mystery, isn't it?" they remarked in sync. Kurt's eyes widened. _That's creepy_.

Blaine saw the look in his eye. "C'mon, let's go before they unload their crazy on you." He took Kurt by the arm and led him away. Kurt waved at the four left at the paddock. "Bye!"

"See you Kurt!" Merril laughed. Spencer grinned and waved, while the twins smirked evilly. Oh, this was going to be fun.

* * *

><p>The room was almost pitch black, with a single candle glowing in the middle of the black-topped table. A lone figure sat at the table, reading a small deck of cards. The boy brushed back some of his raven hair – it was short in the back, but had one overlong lock that hung over his right eye. His gray eyes scanned the cards.<p>

_Let's see, what's in for today?...the Twins will try and set off some stolen explosives, jeez, as long as it's not near my camper…um…Shane and Reed will get into a small spat, but they will make up by the end of the day, good…NEW PERSON?...WALKING BY MY CAMPER NOW?_

The boy flew from his spot on the table and ran towards where he thought the window was. Instead, he slammed into the metal wall of the camper and fell to the floor.

Outside, Kurt and Blaine were discussing their recent exchange.

"So, let me get this straight: Merril's a male-to-female transgender."

"Correct." Blaine said, smiling at the knit in Kurt's eyebrows.

"And she and Spencer are dating."

"So far, so good."

"And they're using their wages to save up for her surgery."

"Yep." Blaine pursed his lips and reached for Kurt's hand. Kurt looked down, surprised, but tightened his grip all the same. It felt…right.

At that moment there was a loud bang from the camper on their right. They both flickered their eyes over to it, surprised at the sudden noise. Kurt looked at Blaine. "And who resides here?"

"The craziest out of everyone here." Blaine muttered. He walked over to the window and rapped on it. "Hello?" Nothing. "Dwight, you okay?"

A moment later the window flew open and Dwight Houston stuck his head out, rubbing a red spot on his temple. "Yeah, I'm fine…who's the new guy?" he mumbled, without looking up at Kurt.

Blaine stuck at thumb at him. "Our new costume designer, Kurt. Kurt, this is Dwight. He's our fortune-teller."

"Yeah, and the cool thing? I don't actually make shit up." Dwight groaned, before removing his hand and looking at them. He scanned Kurt, judging how many unholy spirits would follow him. "Would you like an example?"

"Um…sure." Kurt shrugged, looking at Blaine. Blaine merely raised his hands and let them fall to his sides. _Go with it_.

Kurt walked up to the window. Dwight grabbed his palm and practically eye-raped it, squinting and staring it, as if it had insulted him. Kurt was beginning to feel mildly uncomfortable when Dwight let his hand go.

"So here's what I've concluded: Tomorrow, something bad will happen that will need you to retreat to friends."

Kurt winced. Blaine stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm gently.

"Two, two lovers will cross your path, and you will have to choose between which in the future."

Kurt paled.

"And three…"

Kurt waited, biting his lip.

"…in half an hour, you will trip over your shoelaces and get grass stains."

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He looked down, staring at his boots.

Dwight noticed this and turned red. "Oh, um…well, it was something to do with grass stains…" he mumbled, looking down.

Kurt chuckled. "It's fine Dwight, don't worry about it."

Dwight shrugged. "Whatever. Hope you enjoy yourself here."

"Thanks!" Kurt waved at the fortune-teller before turning away with Blaine and walking away.

Dwight watched them go. He could tell that something dark was approaching. So to prepare for the oncoming storm, he slammed his window shut and began to look for his pouch of rock salt, only to trip over the table leg in the darkness once again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So instead of Jogan, I added Tweedles and Dwight. Hopefully Jogan and everything else comes up next. But I wanted to get this in before vacation. Nashville for a week :) I'll have my laptop, but I doubt I'll be able to get much work in. But I'll try my best.<strong>

**Currently listening to the POTC 4 soundtrack. BADASS. **

**I have a tumblr now – the manager won't let me put in the link, so it's on my profile **_**– **_**Check it out! Though there's not that much on there right now…**

**Well, I'll see you lovelies later!**

**Love Lala, xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**

**"Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

**"Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>As Blaine and Kurt walked slowly through the midst of campers, an angry looking boy stormed out the door of the nearest camper, swearing under his breath. Blaine looked at him and sighed. "What?"<p>

"They're at it again. I'm not putting up with it now." The boy had a dark look in his eye.

"Derek – "

"Forget it. They can deal with it themselves. It's Logan's fault he can't see what's been in front of his face the past three years." Derek walked away.

Blaine sighed. "That's Derek Siegerson. He's one of the strong men. This is his camper, along with his friend's."

A quick glimpse in the window showed a tall blonde with emerald green cat eyes. He was arguing loudly, though the words were indecipherable, with a slightly smaller boy with wavy oak brown hair and brown eyes.

"The blonde one is Logan Wright, he's the sword swallower here. The other one is Julian Larson– the fire breather. He, Logan, and Derek all arrived here earlier than any of us. Logan's a little…" Blaine struggled for the right word. "…eh, temperamental. I don't know Julian and Derek put up with him." _I don't know how __**I**__ put up with him_.

The boy Julian burst out the door. "You just don't understand!" he yelled. He bumped into Blaine and Kurt, scowled, and stormed away.

Logan appeared at the door, sneering, lips pursed. His intense eyes alighted on Blaine and Kurt, scanning them. Kurt felt as though he were prize horse being looked over by a jockey, being judged.

"New guy?" Logan's tone was amiable enough, but Kurt noticed a stony look in his eyes as he looked at Blaine.

"Yes." Kurt was surprised at the sudden hardness in Blaine's voice and he turned to him. Blaine's jaw was set as he looked Logan in the eye.

Blaine was the only one who noticed the slow smirk making its way across Logan's face as he stared at Kurt. Kurt was oblivious to this, as he kept looking at Blaine. Blaine put a protective hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Logan – Kurt, our new costume designer. Kurt, our sword swallower."

Logan stepped down from the camper and held his hand out to Kurt, a charming smile gracing his face. "A pleasure." he said, voice like honey. Kurt found it polite and a little unnerving. "Same." he managed.

Blaine had seen enough. "C'mon Kurt, I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew." He used the hand on Kurt's shoulder to maneuver him away from Logan, leading him towards a high tech camper.

Logan stuck his hands in his pockets casually and watched them go, a calculating smile on his face.

* * *

><p>"What's with you and Logan ?"<p>

Blaine took a moment to snap out of his thoughts. "…what?"

"You two looked like you wanted to kill each other." Kurt stopped him on the grass.

Blaine sighed. "Logan and I…have a history, to say the least."

"Is he your ex?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, and…it wasn't very pretty. I resent him for what he did to me and…" Blaine stopped. "Well, it's ugly. I'll tell you more later, when we have more time."

Kurt pursed his lips, but didn't argue.

Blaine knocked on the beat-up trailer. "Drew? Saturo? Anyone home?"

A moment later, an Asian boy with goggles and a perky smile opened the door. "Hi Blaine, c'mon in! Drew and I are testing a new chemical that might help us with the fireworks finale!"

Blaine's eyes widened as he considered whether actually taking Kurt in there would be safe. But before he could speak, Saturo laid eyes on Kurt. "New guy?"

"Uh, yeah. Kurt, Saturo Kogo. He helps make the all of the fireworks and explosions for the show." Saturo blushed, smiling proudly. "Yep! C'mon in!" He stepped aside to let the two in.

The room had scorch marks in various spots on the ceiling and walls. The bunk in the corner was unmade. Tables were piled haphazardly with multicolored boxes, test tubes, Bunsen burners, and other equipment that look dangerous to Kurt.

Hunched over a beaker in the corner was a boy with messy brown hair. He had a pair of goggles on too and his tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he very carefully squeezed a drop of red liquid from a tube. Blaine immediately put an arm around Kurt and led him to a large wall in the corner, blackened with age and explosives. As soon as they got there a small explosion rocked the room, smoking curling over the top of the wall.

Saturo's cheery voice sounded. "You can come out now!"

Blaine and Kurt peeked out warily. Both Saturo and the other boy's faces were covered in soot and their hair stood up on end. They pulled off their goggles, the clean skin around their eyes contrasting comically with the soot on their faces.

"Drew, this is Kurt." Saturo began. "He's the…?"

"Costume designer." Blaine finished smoothly. Kurt smiled at the two, unwilling to shake the soot-covered hands of the chemists.

Drew grinned. "Nice to have you! You're gonna love it here!"

"I can tell." Kurt's eyes sparkled.

* * *

><p>The sun was setting across the treetops in the west, painting the sky a multitude of pastel colors. Everyone was settling down and getting ready for the night. Kurt watched as he and Blaine maneuvered their way through the maze of campers: Julian sulking his way back to his camper, Derek by his side; Reed leading the elephants back into their large caravan, Shane waiting patiently at the gate: Wes and David waving as they walked past, arm in arm.<p>

Blaine smiled wistfully at Kurt when they reached the gate that led to parking lot where Kurt's car was parked. "So you'll be joining us…?"

"Tuesday." Kurt said confidentially. "Though I wish I could just stay. But, I've got stuff to pack."

Blaine smiled again. "I wish you could too." _Did he really just say that? _"But you'll be here soon. We're leaving for Indianapolis on Wednesday, so you'll be out of here in no time."

"Great. That's just what I need." Kurt stopped at the truth of his words, swallowing and looking at the ground. Blaine cocked his head at the look and asked, "Kurt…why are you joining the Cirque?"

When Kurt's silence met him, he backtracked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want, because, you know, we only just met and all…"

"No, it's okay…" Kurt sighed. "My father died of cancer about a month ago."

"Oh, Kurt…I'm sorry."

Kurt shrugged, though it was clear that the words affected him deeply. "Not your fault. Well, he accepted me for being gay, but no one else really did. Well, I was taken into custody by my grandparents and they're set on – " Kurt swallowed, looking, for the first time, nervous. "- straightening me out."

Blaine frowned. "That's awful." He reached out and placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders, comforting words flowing into his head. But they stopped short, when he saw Kurt wince. "Kurt, what's wrong?"

Kurt shook his head. "Nothing."

Blaine gave Kurt a sorrowful, affectionate, but nonetheless searching stare before sighing and lowering his hands back to Kurt's. "Well, you'll be away from them soon. Here, where's your cell phone?"

Kurt pulled out a small, worn phone. Blaine took it and added his number. "There, you can call or text me if you need help. If you don't show up on Tuesday, I'll call. If you don't answer, me and some of the guys will come by your house. Give me your address." Kurt did so, and Blaine put it on his phone.

Kurt smiled gratefully. "Thank you, for all of this." An unshed tear shined in his eye. "It means a lot to me."

Blaine shrugged, smiling. "Stop thanking me. I've done nothing."

"You've willingly become the first friend I've had in a long time."

Blaine raised his eyebrows and Kurt shrugged, still looking at him. Blaine squeezed his hands.

Kurt sighed. "Well, I've got a curfew."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "It's four forty-five."

"Yeah, well. I've got dinner and a few preaches to listen to." Kurt shrugged, looking down. "So…I'll see you on Tuesday?"

"Definitely." Blaine nodded.

Kurt reluctantly pulled his hands away from Blaine's, turning to the gate. He pushed it open. "See you." he said quietly.

"Yeah." Blaine waved and smiled. "Good luck." he added.

Kurt nodded in thanks. "Thanks."

Blaine watched as Kurt made his way across the parking lot, slipped into the driver's seat of his car and drove away from the campground. He sighed, leaning against the fence and watching. Whatever Kurt had gone through – or was currently going through – it was going to end that Tuesday, and then Blaine would make sure that Kurt's new family would take care of him.

Blaine was going to take care of him. Whatever it took.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: GAH! I'M SO SORRY FOR LACK OF UPDATE! I've been on vacation for the past week and a half, and I haven't gotten much time to write. <strong>

**I was planning on cramming the rest of the characters into this chapter and then my best friend(waves) told me to just introduce them along the way. So the rest of the characters will be introduced later.**

**I thought Julian's job would be cool, considering his power in **_**Meta**_**. The Jogan is crappy, and I sincerely apologize to the many Jogan fans out there.**

**See you guys later! And thanks to all that have been sticking with this fic, despite my neglectance.**

**Love Lala, xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**

"**Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

"**Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>It was Sunday night. The stars were hidden behind the clouds that hovered above, predicting an oncoming storm. Reed shivered and pulled his jacket closer as he ushered Daisy into her caravan. A few droplets of rain fell, marking his shoulders and the elephant's hide. "C'mon girl." he muttered, slapping her hide. He followed the elephant into the caravan.<p>

Daisy settled herself down in her bed of hay while Reed filled up her trough with water. "You probably drink half your weight a day." he mumbled, struggling under the weight of the bucket filled to the brim. Daisy made a prim noise and turned away. Reed rolled his eyes at her antics.

There was a knock behind him. Reed called out cheerily, "Yeah?"

"Er, Reed?"

Reed spun at the sound of the voice and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Kurt standing in the doorway.

Kurt seemed to be holding himself together. There were some dark marks that showed on his cheekbones. Water soaked his shoulders and hair and his eyes were sad. Yet he held himself in a way that showed the world that it could throw whatever it wanted at him, and he would still not be broken. He held a large Vera Bradley bag in his left hand and had a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Kurt, what-?"

"I don't really want to talk about it right now Reed." Kurt pursed his lips, looking a little sorry that he had had to say that. Reed shrugged. "Okay. C'mere, get out of the rain."

Kurt stepped into the caravan, nose instantly wrinkling at the smell. Reed giggled. "Yeah, I know. It takes a while to get used to. But I've been around it so long, I can hardly smell it anymore." Kurt managed a smile at Reed's outgoingness.

When Reed was finished, he and Kurt went back out into the rain. Reed locked the door to the caravan and turned to Kurt. "Do you want to know where Blaine's camper is?"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, I forgot where it was."

Reed shrugged. "No problem; follow me." Reed grabbed Kurt's hand and they stumbled through the rain. Reed brought Kurt down once when he slipped. "Sorry, sorry!" He said hurriedly, helping Kurt up. "I'm accident-prone."

Kurt smiled. "It's alright. Not like these clothes weren't ruined before."

Reed eyed the bag in Kurt's hands. "How much clothes do you have?"

Kurt shrugged. "Not a lot. I didn't…have much time to pack."

Reed's eyes sparkled. "Well, we look about the same size, and I've got plenty of stuff. You can borrow mine for now, until or unless you want some new ones."

Kurt smiled gratefully. "Thanks Reed."

Reed stopped in front of the camper that Kurt remembered from yesterday. Reed rapped on the door. "Blaine?"

In the camper, Blaine pulled on his pajama pants and walked to the door. He pulled it open. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Kurt standing beside Reed. "Kurt?"

"Hi Blaine." Kurt said plainly, attempting a smile. Blaine stood there for a moment before jumping to into action. He grabbed Kurt's hands and pulled him into the camper. "Jesus Christ, Kurt! What're you doing out here in this weather?"

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. Reed stepped into the camper behind them, feeling awkward. Everyone knew that Blaine already had a crush on the newcomer, and this felt like a private moment. "I'll go get you some dry clothes Kurt." he said. Both Kurt and Blaine nodded in thanks and Reed left the camper.

Blaine observed Kurt, who wasn't meeting his eyes. It was Sunday night, two days before Kurt was supposed to officially join the Cirque. So what was he doing here at this hour?

"Kurt?" Blaine raised his hands to Kurt's face, turning it gently as he took in the dark bruises on Kurt's cheeks. Kurt winced as Blaine passed his thumb over them. "Hey…" Blaine said softly, raising Kurt's face so that Kurt met his eyes. "…I'm right here."

There was a single moment of silence before Kurt flung himself into Blaine's arms, sobbing hysterically. Blaine clutched him tightly, letting Kurt smother himself in Blaine's shoulders. Blaine moved carefully to the bottom bunk, still holding Kurt.

A few minutes passed. Reed carefully stepped into the camper, wincing when he saw the scene. He caught Blaine's eye and set the clothes down on the dresser. Blaine mouthed _thanks _and Reed nodded silently, leaving.

Finally, Kurt raised his head. "Thank you." he murmured, voice hoarse. Blaine sighed and reached out, wiping the tears away from Kurt's face. "Sorry about that…" Kurt looked away from Blaine.

Blaine shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Here –" Blaine stood up and grabbed the clothes that Reed left. "Reed left these, you can change. I'll turn my back." He offered a wan smile, which Kurt barely returned.

Blaine faced the window while Kurt changed behind him, humming and leaning back and forth on the balls of his feet. The window was streaked with tears of the clouds. Blaine always liked the rain, well, as long as he wasn't in it. But no matter where you were, it always made that place seem cozy.

His eyes narrowed when he saw a faint light in Logan's camper. As he watched for a few more seconds, the light flickered and turned off.

He remembered the look on Logan's face when he had first introduced him to Kurt. The look he hadn't seen since he himself had received it over a year ago. His thoughts darkened as he thought of that time. He shuddered inwardly. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to let Logan do to Kurt what had been done to him.

"I'm done." Kurt said quietly. Blaine turned around and smiled fondly at Kurt.

The two sat leaning against the headboard of the bunk, pressed closely together. Despite his predicament right now, Kurt couldn't help but revel in the sense of security that Blaine gave.

"So…" Blaine began, unsure of where to start.

Kurt sighed. "My grandparents found my bags under my bed. They confronted me about it, and it…" Kurt shivered. "…got a little violent."

Blaine sighed. "How'd you get out?"

"I climbed out the window. Took off."

"Do you have your car?"

"No. They'd be able to track the license plate or whatever."

Blaine looked down at Kurt sorrowfully, wondering how it was possible for someone to look so drained. Kurt's eyes were half-closed, and he struggled to keep them open.

Blaine sighed once more. "Well, I don't think Harvey will have any objections to you joining early. You'll just have to lay low for a bit."

"They know I was going to come here…do you think they'll call the police?"

Blaine shrugged. "Maybe. If they do, we can just show them these – " he motioned to the bruises on Kurt's body, "- and I think they'll be easier than to return you. Most likely Harvey and Sylvia will demand custody. That's what happened to me and Shane when we arrived."

Kurt twisted his head. "What's your story?"

Blaine looked down into his lap, guilt crossing his face. "Um…well, our parents were…_big _homophobes. We were both in the closet and it was torture for us to listen to them say how disgusting gays were. I think I actually got sick a few times.

"Well, I came out and…it did not blow over well. I got shoved around, I ended up bleeding…Dad wouldn't let me hear the end of it. They were going to send me to a camp for the summer. They sent me down to the bus stop, and on the way…I ran away. I couldn't take it. And I left Shane behind." A single tear fell down Blaine's cheek.

"I didn't make it far out of town before I went back. I couldn't leave him. He's still my baby brother." Blaine smiled fondly. "So I went back to the house during the night. Knocked on his window. He packed his stuff and we left for good…I'll never forgive myself for thinking about abandoning him though."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand comfortingly. Blaine looked down, brushing his thumb across Kurt's hand. It was very warm, and despite the depression of the story, he couldn't help but feel tingles on his arm.

"We wandered around for about a month until we found the Cirque. It was like a blessing, really. We were running low on food, Shane was sick, we were both ready to drop from exhaustion…and they just took us in. Didn't even bat an eyelid. Shane became a trapeze artist, and Harvey took me on as an apprentice." Blaine finally grinned, letting his head loll back. "Our parents did call the police and they did find us. But Harvey fought and he won. A lot of the members of the Cirque have been adopted by them. And life's never better."

On the contrary - his life had gotten better when he saw Kurt sitting in the chair in Harvey's office. A whole lot better.

Kurt smiled. "That's quite a story." Blaine noticed his eyelids drooping and shook his head. "Look at me; I'm boring you with my tale when you should be getting some sleep."

Kurt shook his head furiously. "No, no it's fi – " his statement was interrupted by a huge yawn. Blaine laughed. "Yeah, you're tired." He got up from the bed. "Get some sleep. And sleep in the morning. You'll need it. I'll tell Harvey you're here."

Kurt nodded in thanks, already missing the warmth that Blaine had radiated.

Blaine climbed up to his bunk and pulled the covers up. "Good night Kurt. Sleep tight."

Kurt smiled dreamily, already dozing off. "Good night Blaine."

Blaine switched off the light and lay quietly for a few minutes. It wasn't long before he heard Kurt's peaceful breathing beneath him. He closed his eyes, listening to Kurt sleep, before his inner voice told him to _knock it off, stalker. Geez_.

Despite these thoughts, he fell asleep to the sound of Kurt breathing. And it was, without a doubt, the best lullaby he had ever heard.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Klaine fluff! Blaine's story! What does Logan have in mind? I wonder…oh wait. No I don't. I already know ;D ...okay I'll stop being mean.<br>**

**Hope you're all enjoying it so far! Reviews are appreciated!  
><strong>

**Love Lala, xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**

"**Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

"**Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>Blaine stepped out of his camper and straight into a small pud muddle. He swore and ran a hand through ungelled curls as the mud seeped over the edge of his sandals and on to his feet. He lifted his foot and sighed.<p>

Kurt was in the camper fast asleep. The dawn was just getting ready to break. Blaine was a morning person; he was usually the first one up in the mornings. Around him, the campground was quiet as the birds began to chirp.

Blaine shrugged off the mud and started off. Harvey was usually up at this hour. Hopefully he'd be up so Blaine could tell him about Kurt's untimely arrival.

Kurt had slept like a rock the whole night. When Blaine had gotten up that morning, Kurt was in the same position that Blaine had left him in that night. Not that Blaine remembered, it had just looked…familiar. _The position that he fell asleep in? This stalkerish Blaine. Like, __**Shane-stalkerish**_.

Blaine shrugged it off for the moment, though Kurt's blue eyes were the only thing that were in his head at that moment.

He approached Harvey's trailer and knocked quietly. "Come in Blaine."

Blaine opened the door, peering in. Harvey sat at his desk, flipping through papers. He smiled at Blaine when he looked up and beckoned him in. "I assume you're hear to talk about the arrival of Kurt last night, am I right?"

Blaine's eyes widened. "W-wha-how did you -?"

"Reed came last night and told me."

Blaine pursed his lips. He'd hoped that the drama of Kurt's arrival wouldn't spread around the camp. Reed wasn't gossipy, so the only other person he could've told would be Shane. And Blaine was going to corner them both after this.

"So, as for Kurt's arrival, he'll have to come talk to me himself. Do you know what happened that brought him here?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, he doesn't really want to talk about it though."

Harvey shrugged. "He'll come around. He doesn't have to tell anyone else. For now Blaine, just…keep an eye on him." Harvey smiled knowingly. "A few anonymous sources have already told me that the two of you have grown rather close."

Blaine blushed. Rather hard.

Harvey laughed. "I'll let you know when I can speak to him. For now, just focus on getting him comfortable."

Blaine nodded. "Yes sir."

Blaine closed the door and stood for a moment on the step. Then he turned around and said loudly, "Okay, come out _anonymous sources_!"

The Tweedles stepped out from the bushes with matching smiles. Wes and David peered out from the other side of the camper.

"Morning lover boy!" They called cheerfully.

Blaine groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "You guys are creepers, you know that?"

"I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about!" Shane stuck his head out from under the camper, grinning ear to ear. Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Look, did Reed tell you all about what happened?"

"No actually I didn't." Reed stepped out from the other side of the camper, arms crossed defiantly. "I told Shane and made him promise not to tell anyone. _They _found out on their own."

"The Caterpillar told us!" the Tweedles chirped, wearing innocent faces. "Alice came here all alone in the rain." They pushed their bottom lips out. "And only you know why!"

Blaine sighed. "Look guys, I'm sure when Kurt's okay with handling us, he'll tell us why he came here. But for now, just focus on making him comfortable."

"And why would we do anything other than that?" Wes smirked.

* * *

><p>Kurt poked his head around the camper door. The sun was shining weakly and he stepped over the mud that graced the entrance to their camper. He'd slept better that night then he had in long time. Maybe it was the fact that he knew that Blaine was watching over him, maybe it was because he was far away from his grandparents…okay, he had a pretty sure idea that it was the first one, but he was going to ignore that for the time being.<p>

He wrapped his coat around himself tighter. It was the same one he had worn on the way to the campground the night before. He was loathe to wear it, but he didn't really have any other choice. He wondered where Blaine had gone.

Trying to remember his way around, he wandered the maze of campers, biting his lip in anxiety. Everything looked the same.

A hand tapped him on shoulder and he spun around to meet emerald eyes.

Logan smirked lightly when he saw Kurt's face. "You're here a little early, aren't you?"

Kurt shrugged and smiled, feeling odd under Logan's intense gaze. "I guess."

Logan smiled smoothly and put his hands behind his back, observing Kurt. "So, what brings you here at this time?"

Kurt looked down at the ground, unsure if he was willing to trust Logan yet. "Just…stuff."

"Really?" Logan raised his eyebrows amusedly.

"Yes. Very secretive stuff." Kurt smiled, feeling his old bravado of sarcasm and witty remarks returning to him.

Logan chuckled. "I'm good at keeping secrets." He winked.

"Really?" Kurt raised an eyebrow and began walking, Logan stepping in time beside him.

"So, how are you enjoying the life of a circus so far?"

Kurt shrugged. "So far so good. Everyone'e been so nice so far."

Logan laughed. "Yeah, most of us aren't so bad. If not, pesky." His eyes narrows slightly.

Kurt gazed around. "Not that. Their peskiness is overall endearing."

"Well if they like you, you're in good shape." Logan shrugged.

"And if they don't?" Kurt turned to look at Logan.

"Kurt?"

Blaine wandered around the corner of the nearest trailer, looking around. His eyes alighted on Logan and Kurt standing amicably in the row and his eyes narrowed slightly. "There you are."

Both Logan and Kurt noticed the false kindness in Blaine's voice as he walked towards them, smiling. "Harvey wants to talk to you."

"Oh, okay." Kurt smiled bravely. "Er, where's his trailer?"

"Here, follow me." Blaine smiled and held out his hand. Kurt took it and turned to Logan. "Nice talking to you!"

"The pleasure's all mine." Logan smirked. As Kurt turned around Blaine shot Logan a look that promised something ugly later.

Logan watched them go, eyes fastened on Kurt. He didn't know what part of the blue-eyed boy had caught his eye, but he was getting an eyeful.

A pair of arms grabbed each of his own. "Hello Knave." one voice whispered in his ear.

"Let's go have a talk." an identical voice murmured. And with that, he was pulled away into the maze of metal and wheels.

* * *

><p>The conspirators were huddled around the door to Harvey's trailer, looking at it with focused expressions. Everyone was present minus the Tweedles and Kurt – who was inside the camper.<p>

Blaine was the only one not looking at the door, instead seemingly analyzing the ground, lip worried between his teeth. Logan was not good for Kurt. Blaine had barely survived last year with Logan. Besides…Kurt was too good for Logan. _Look at you, you barely know him, _his inner voice chided. _But anyone's too good for Logan_.

"Shh!" Wes whispered. "I can hear them coming to the door."

The boys scrambled away, except Blaine, who merely looked up at the door as it swung open. Kurt was smiling gratefully at Harvey. "...not a problem Mr. Hummel."

"Thank you, so much." Kurt shook Harvey's hand, eyes bright. He stepped down from the trailer and Harvey closed the door. The boys around the melted out of the scenery. "Well?" Blaine asked kindly.

"My grandparents already called him; said I'd be better off with you guys then with them. Good riddance." Kurt smiled freely. Blaine grinned and the boys around them cheered.

"Alice is here to stay!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh Logan, you sly fox. Why can't I know you as well as I know Rane? It's just you I have trouble with. Everyone else, its fine, but <strong>_**you**_**…*shakes head***

**Sorry for lack of update. Been busy with…stuff.**

**So an unexpected ship jumped aboard in this story. Hopefully you'll be able to see it later :)**

**Well, I'll see you guys later!**

**Love Lala, xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**

"**Glee" belongs to Ryan Murphy**

"**Dalton" belongs to CP Coulter**

* * *

><p>"So this is the costume trailer." Merril said brightly as she, Reed, and Katherine led Kurt to a silver trailer attached to a red truck. "It's got all of our costumes, along with fabrics, sequins, sowing machine-"<p>

"The whole schebang." Katherine finished with a grin.

Kurt grinned back as Reed pulled a key out of his pocket at unlocked the trailer. He held open the door with a flourish. "After you!"

Kurt shook his head with fondness and stepped into the trailer. It looked like a dry cleaners; neat racks of costumes, covered with plastic, lined along the walls. On the right was a table and chair, with a sowing machine on top. Various fabrics were scattered across the floor.

The girls and Reed stepped in behind him. "Yep, this is it." Reed said. "Our shows are every other night. Every night after them, we hand wash them and hang them to dry, so that they're ready for the next night show. And so that there's time to fix tears or anything like that.

Kurt smiled. "This is cool…where are your costumes?"

Merril smiled and walked over to the far left of the trailer, choosing a vibrant dress from the rack. Everyone winced. Kurt's eyes widened. The dress was skimpy, with a miniscule waist and a short puffy skirt. It was fuchsia colored, with a turquoise underskirt made of lace beneath. Kurt bit his lip. "…yeah, that's bad."

Merril laughed fleetingly. "Definitely."

Katherine shrugged and moved to the rack on the right. "Some of ours aren't so bad." She said, pulling out her costume, a canary yellow dress with a mass of sequins. Kurt shrugged. "That's not so bad."

"Yeah, I like the style-" The dress was a halter-top, with a flowing skirt that ended just above the knees. "-but the color doesn't suit me. I think red would be better."

Kurt pursed his lips as he thought. "That sounds good." He grinned. "So, what should I do first?"

Reed shrugged happily. "You're the designer!"

Kurt thought for a moment. "…I'll get everyone's opinions on their costumes, see if they want them changed or not. If so, we'll collaborate to make them perfect." He clapped his hands, satisfied.

Merril nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan!"

* * *

><p>The blindfold on his eyes was ripped off and Logan blinked, preparing to adjust to the light. But it was dark, with some sunlight peeking in through a curtained window. Around him were strings of garlic hung from the ceiling, a cabinet filled with vials of water, and a pack of tarot cards on the table.<p>

_Oh great_.

A bright fluorescent light was abruptly shoved in his face and he winced, turning his head away. A pair of icy blue eyes glared at him with forced cheer.

"So Knave," Ethan began.

"We've been watching you lately…" Evan continued.

Logan snorted. "You're all creepers."

The twins ignored him. "And it seems you're warming up to Kurt. Are we right?"

Logan shrugged. "So what if I am? You going to stop me?"

Evan shrugged, sitting down opposite Logan and resting his chin on laced fingers "Depends. We all remember what happened last year Logan."

Logan scoffed. "I know that. Shane gives me death glares every time I see him."

"And the Little Bat does so for good reason." Ethan replied. "We all do."

Logan shook his head. "Listen you two. I like him, and there's nothing you two can do that's going to make me stop liking him." His voice was controlled, but the twin's saw through it.

"Knave have you been taking-?"

"-your meds?"

Logan lowered his smoldering eyes. Evan pursed his lips. Exactly as they'd thought. "Alice has had a rough time Knave."

"You've named him already?"

"We all think it would be best if we gave him a little time to adjust."

"I've had one conversation with him." Logan said monotonously.

"A lot can be said in one conversation."

"You guys are getting worked up."

"Perhaps for a good reason."

Logan rolled his eyes and stood up, hands on the edge of the table, head low as his cat green eyes pierced Evan's icy blue ones. Neither gaze wavered. "You guys aren't going to stop me. So I like Kurt. I don't think that that one fact is necessary for you to throw me into Houston's trailer with a blindfold on like I'm a criminal!"

Logan stood up, eyes dark. "Just chill, okay?"

Logan walked smoothly out of the trailer, hands shoved carelessly in his pockets, a _high and mighty _look in his eye. Dwight peered out from the other side of the camper biting his lip, eyes dark. _I swear, one of these days, I'm going to exorcise whatever demon lives inside him_.

Two arms wrapped around his waist on either side. Dwight sighed and leaned into Evan, letting himself become sandwiched between the twins. "There's something inside him, I swear." he muttered into Evan's shirt. Ethan chuckled behind him, vibrating. "We know, little Knight." he murmured.

"Don't call me little."

* * *

><p>The twins and Dwight weren't the only ones watching Logan. Julian peered over the top of his shades, watching the blonde stride away from Dwight's trailer. He sighed, pressing a hand to the side of his head.<p>

"You can't hide from him forever."

Julian scowled. "Lay off, _Mom_."

Derek merely shrugged and sidled up to him, leaning against the trailer opposite Julian. "Look, the three of us have been together for three years. You've been crushing on him for two of them. He's going to find out sometime."

Julian was silent, thinking of the past the trio shared. All runaways, meeting up and miraculously putting him with each other the whole time. Finding the Cirque, sticking it out together. And maybe, Julian thought, he'd be able to tell Logan how he felt.

But then Gelhead showed up, and he stole Logan's heart and eyes. And for a while, all hope was lost.

They were a strange couple, for the rest of the Cirque. Blaine, the dapper, shy singer, who quickly became Harvery's apprentice – and Logan, the tall, smooth, temperamental sword-swallower. But it seemed to work. No one liked the pairing, though no one said anything about it – not even Shane, who moved out of Blaine's trailer when he and Logan started getting…_frisky_.

But then came the fights. The late nights where yells radiated around the campground, making the performers shove pillows over their ears and wish they'd fall asleep, so they couldn't hear. The mornings where Blaine would show up to breakfast with either small bruises on his arms (which caused disturbance amongst the boys) or limping (which caused disturbance for a completely different reason) Julian couldn't bear it. It was the dark period where he wouldn't speak to anyone, pouring himself into his craft.

And then one day, it was over. Logan moved back into the trailer that he shared with Julian, and things seemed to go back to normal – except for the fact that most of the boys wanted to maim Logan now.

Julian sighed. "Maybe I'll tell him…right before I die."

Derek rolled his eyes. "That's cheerful."

* * *

><p>Blaine knocked on the door to the costume trailer. "Kurt? You in?"<p>

Kurt opened the door, giddy. "Hi Blaine, c'mon in!"

Blaine stepped in, gazing around. Merril was sitting at the table with Kurt, looking over pieces of paper that held various designs of dresses.

Blaine smiled as Kurt sat back down with Merril. It was the first time he'd seen Kurt like this. Not worried, not anxious, simply…_Kurt_.

"We're looking over ideas for a new costume for Merril." Kurt explained. He grabbed a pencil at tapped it against his temple. "So, you like the puffy skirts, and you like…?"

Merril thought. "Lavender or periwinkle."

Kurt nodded, and suddenly the pencil was on the paper, furiously sketching. Blaine stood politely while Kurt continued, going on for another two minutes before pulling back. "How's that?"

Merril peered over his shoulder and gasped delightedly. "Perfect!"

Kurt grinned at the result and then snapped back to reality. Oh yeah, Blaine _with his triangular eyebrows and chocolate eyes and dapper smile…okay Kurt, take it easy_, Blaine was standing in the corner. "You were saying?"

Blaine laughed. "Just making sure you were adjusting. Seems we're good to go."

Kurt nodded and laughed. "Definitely."

"Well, I just wanted to say that we're packing up the tents and everything. We're leaving tonight at ten-thirty."

Merril gasped. "Oh yeah, I have to go help Spencer! She got up, but not before giving Kurt a grateful hug. "Thank you!"

Kurt grinned. "Not a problem Merril! I'll get started right away!"

Merril bounded out of the trailer, a spring in her step. Blaine smiled before taking the empty seat beside Kurt, resisting the urge to reach out and hold his hand. "So, you wanna know how the traveling thing works?"

Kurt nodded.

"Well, everyone who shares a camper or trailer together drives together. We drive in shifts so that we're always moving, while the other can catch up on rest and stuff. And we don't stop until we get to our destination."

"Which is?"

Blaine grinned. "Indianapolis."

Kurt nodded, smiling. "Should be fun."

Blaine shrugged. "It is! Have you seen the show?"

Kurt nodded. "You can bet I'll be watching again."

Blaine grinned. "Good."

For a few moments, there was simple, comfortable silence. Then Kurt cleared his throat. "So, should we get packing?"

Blaine nodded, not letting his eyes leave the sky-blue ones sparkling with life.

* * *

><p>Within a few hours, everyone was in their cars and campers, humming to life as they drove out of the campground and on to I-70 W.<p>

In the 1967 Chevy Impala pulling the Fortune Teller's caravan, Evan was at the wheel, chatting with his brother about the talk they'd had with Logan that day. Dwight was in the middle seat, curled up again Ethan, fast asleep, left hand laced with Evan's free one.

In the car behind them, Reed was at the wheel, having a laughing argument with Shane about his style – or lack thereof. Shane defended his position on how the nice clothes that Reed wore simply didn't suit him. Reed kept his eyes on the road, afraid of looking over and letting Shane's eyes capture him, like always.

Behind that car, Merril was talking about her new costume while Spencer nodded in agreement. After a few minutes, she smiled teasingly and said, "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Spencer bit his lip before shaking his head. "Sorry love, I don't." Merril simply laughed, a sound Spencer would never get tired of.

David and Katherine followed them, talking about the new act they had come up with. Katherine was being a little more reserved than usual, and David tried to wheedle the matter out of her, but she wouldn't budge. So he let it slide, letting her cuddle up to him as he followed Spencer.

Drew and Saturo were driving their camper behind them, chattering about the new firework show they had concocted. They weren't sure yet if it was completely harmless, but, if it wasn't, it was close. In one of the camper bunks, Han, the special effects controller, was asleep, thick glasses askew on his face as he snored.

Logan and Julian were behind them, words controlled carefully. They had made up from their fight the night Kurt arrived, but the tension wasn't completely gone. Julian asked some questions about Kurt, letting Logan relax a bit before beginning the sarcastic banter that was usually present. Before long, Logan and Julian were both somewhat relaxed.

Derek and Bailey followed them. Bailey was an illusionist in the show – he did a few tricks like Wes and David, but his were more complex. The two got along amiably – not the best of friends, but still, they got along enough to be able to room with each other. Bailey was asleep, the seatbelt strap making a mark on his face, while Derek sighed and thought about the drama between Logan, Julian, Kurt, and Blaine. It was not going to be pretty.

Charles Amos and Justin Bancroft, the animals tamers, followed them. They were the oldest of the teenagers that performed in the Cirque; they had both graduated from an elite private school right there in Westerville. They'd had experience working with rowdy animals, seeing as they were both prefects in their houses, having to deal with the chaos the place was under. When graduation came, and the two were expected to take control of their family empires, they had run off, joining the Cirque. They were both liked and well-respected.

Wes and Danny, the high diver, were behind them, Wes talking about the new act he and David were going to perform on their first show. Danny was admittedly jealous of the time that Wes and David spent together, but he always brushes it off. Wes would always be his friend.

And behind them, Kurt was smiling as Blaine talked about the show, a huge smile lighting up his face. It was wonderful how excited Blaine was about it, and Kurt's mind was swimming with ideas for costumes for his fellows. But mostly, it was filled with Blaine's voice.

_And so it begins…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So…Dweedles. I ship it. Told you there'd be a surprising ship.<strong>

**And I thought Danny's job would be cool, with his Meta power :)**

**So I just got back from vacation the night before, and I'm going to take a break tomorrow, since I've spent a lot of today writing and catching up. Hope this'll tide you over.**

**I plan to spend tonight watching Little Mermaid and rewatching the Klaine kiss over and over again. :D**

**Love Lala, xoxo**


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